The Impact of a Hospital and Clinic-based Breastfeeding Promotion Programme in a Middle Class Urban Environment

Abstract

Hospital interventions in support of breastfeeding have been highly successful in areas where the indigenous population has a well established environment of breastfeeding. However, programmes designed to improve breastfeeding patterns in urban populations have met with mixed success. This paper presents a prospective intervention study with a control group in which a health system-based breastfeeding promotion programme was initiated to support optimal breastfeeding for both child health and child spacing. Following collection of control data, a four-step intervention programme (Breastfeeding Promotion Program) was instituted. This paper reports the process of the development of the intervention programme as well as the comparison of the control and study populations. Major findings include significant increases in duration of full breastfeeding from 31.6 per cent at 6 months in the control group to 66.8 per cent in the intervention group. The duration of lactational amenorrhea was similarly increased: 22 per cent of the control mothers and 56 per cent of the intervention group women were in amenorrhoea at 180 days. The cost-effectiveness of the hospital changes is illustrated.

The impact of training based on the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative on breastfeeding practices in the Northeast of Brazil

“…Vários estudos demonstraram que é possível melhorar as práticas que estimulam o aleitamento materno nas maternidades com o treinamento de 18 horas da IHAC, tendo como base o cumprimento dos 10 passos para o sucesso do aleitamento materno [8][9][10][11][12][13][14] .…”

Orientación sobre lactancia materna en un hospital para enfermedades diarreicas

“…Según informes procedentes de hospitales en la India y Pakistán (16,17), a la mayoría de las madres que fueron remitidas a clínicas para el manejo de la lactancia se les pudo ayudar a superar las dificultades propias del amamantamiento y a continuar la lactancia materna exclusiva. En otros países, los servicios de apoyo y orientación también han contribuido a aumentar la frecuencia de la lactancia materna exclusiva (18). Nuestro estudio difiere de los antedichos porque los niños no habían nacido en el hospital ni fueron remitidos a otros servicios para el manejo de la lactancia materna.…”

From foundling homes to day care: a historical review of childcare in Chile

“…In a study conducted to reveal the variables associated with stunted growth in school children, Amigo et al 50 showed that environmental factors, such as paternal alcoholism, lack of good health care, poor hygiene, malnutrition, and a short breastfeeding period, were factors contributing to stunted growth. This led to the introduction of programs to promote breastfeeding 31,53,54 , which seem to have had positive effects, particularly in rural areas 55 . Adolescent mothers were found to be most likely to discontinue breastfeeding early 56 .…”